Cruel Intentions

Chapter Five

"They could kill him! I cannot leave him in that state." Asta argued.

"They are giving him what he deserves." Odin told her.

"Loki doesn't deserve anything that you've put him through! He's a man, a good man. Why can't you see that what you put him through is inhumane and unjust!" Asta shouted.

"Do you know who you are speaking to?" Odin asked angrily.

"Yes, I do. I'm speaking to a bitter old man!" Asta replied as she sprinted down the hall.

Odin chuckled as he turned to face Eir who was smiling.

"I told you. She really cares for him in a way I've never seen." Eir said.

Asta made her way to his cell and panted as she pushed past the guards who were beating Loki.

"Get away from him!" Asta screamed in pure agony.

The guards took a step back from her and quickly ran out of the cell as she began to thrash at them. She quickly turned back and knelt down by Loki's side as he moaned in pain. His hands were covering his face and his body was in the fetal position. Asta couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt as Loki's body shook. She laid her hand on his shoulder and gasped as Loki quickly gripped her arms and rolled on top of her. His hands then went for her throat but he stopped himself when he realized it was Asta who he had under him.

"It's me." Asta said shakily.

Loki swallowed hard before falling back onto his side onto the floor and furrowing his brow in pain. Asta quickly lifted his shirt to see that the guards did not hit Loki where his stitches were.

"Oh," Asta gasped. "Thank the gods."

Loki looked up at Asta as she laid a hand to his cheek.

"Your stitches are intact." Asta told him.

Loki sighed as he closed his eyes and groaned as Asta helped him stand up and lay down on the bed. His body fell like a tree onto the bed and Asta let out a pained gasp as his eyes flew open and he growled in pain.

"Did they hurt your back?" Asta asked.

Loki nodded his head and gripped Asta's wrist tightly as she went to turn his body over. Asta gasped in pain and Loki only tightened his grip.

"Loki, you're hurting me. Why won't you let me help you?" Asta asked.

Loki glared at her as he shook his head.

"You're hurt, Loki. You could have cuts and they could get infected. If you got sick, I'd..." Asta trailed off.

Loki averted his gaze from Asta and she winced as Loki removed his grip from her wrist. She sighed as she pulled out a cloth from the kit she stored in Loki's cell and began to wipe the blood from his cheek. As she was knelt down in front of him, he stared at her as she worked and then examined his arms and sides for any bruises which she quickly used her seidr on to heal them. Once she finished, she stood up and smiled softly.

"Turn on your side." Asta told him.

Loki squinted at her before doing as he was told and Asta sighed as she saw a few blood spots on the sheets.

"You're bleeding, Loki. Please, let me help you." Asta told him.

"He doesn't show his back to anyone." Odin said.

Asta turned to face him and scoffed as she directed her attention back to Loki. She sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his shoulder trying to coax him to let her help him.

"And how would you know if you never see him?" Asta asked angrily.

"Everyone knows of what happened to him. Such a shame he cannot tell you for himself." Odin replied.

Loki quickly pushed himself off the bed and ran towards Odin only to be stopped by the barrier causing him to fall backwards.

"And whose fault is that?" Asta asked as she ran to Loki's side.

Loki scrunched his face up in pain and Asta furrowed her brow as she laid her hand on his chest. She checked the back of his head for any injuries and looked back at Eir and Odin.

"Why do you keep him here?" Asta asked.

"He's a murderer and threat to Asgard." Odin replied.

"Your majesty, he is nothing of the sort. Not now anyways. Look at him. He's in so much pain." Asta explained.

"Well, maybe I should throw you in a cell for calling me a bitter old man." Odin suggested.

Loki chuckled softly and Asta shot him a look.

"I am sorry for calling you such names as those but...you were subjecting your son to terrible pains that he does not deserve." Asta told Odin.

"He deserves everything that's happened to him in these past two years. Have care how you speak." Odin warned Asta.

"Surely, there is something you can do." Asta said.

Odin looked over at Eir and she shrugged her shoulders. He stormed off and Eir sighed as she walked into the cell and helped Loki back into the bed as Asta stayed by the barrier.

"Asta, dear, you must be careful. He is the king of Asgard." Eir told her.

"But what he's doing is wrong." Asta said.

"It's not as if you can just petition him for what he's doing." Eir commented.

"Do you know why Loki won't let me see his back?" Asta asked as she turned to face Loki.

Eir bit her lip as Loki shook his head to her. Asta stood at the foot of his bed and Eir could see the hurt in her eyes. Eir knew Loki was a man of many secrets but she could see him opening up to Asta. To know that he would still hide himself away made her lose some hope for Asta.

"No." Eir replied.

Asta sat on the edge of the bed and gasped as Loki took her wrist in his hands. She thought he would hurt yet, he did not. He caressed the skin of her wrist and watched as he brought her hand to his cheek. She took it as his apology and chuckled softly as he ran her wrist across his stitched lips. Asta stuttered to speak and shot Eir a glance.

"Loki, I've told you something about me that I've never told anyone before. Please...let me help you." Asta told him.

Loki furrowed his brow as he looked up at Asta and he let go of her wrist. She smiled weakly and caressed his cheek waiting for his answer. Loki sighed with the effort to roll onto his stomach and Asta smiled. Eir took a step back and was surprised at Loki's action and how willingly he would share some of his most darkest secrets to a woman he barely knew. She left the cell as Asta turned to look at her.

"Where are you going?" Asta asked.

"I will leave you to practice. I have full faith in you." Eir replied.

Eir walked away and Asta slowly lifted Loki's shirt off his body. When she removed it, Asta covered her mouth with her hand and furrowed her brow as she saw the scars all along his back. She softly touched his back and Loki flinched at her touch.

"Did Odin do this?" Asta asked.

Loki shook his head and Asta furrowed her brow.

"Why would anyone do such a thing?" Asta asked.
Loki shrugged his shoulders and Asta sighed as she put her head down.

"Loki, will you allow me to help clean them?" Asta asked.

Loki looked up at Asta and slowly nodded his head, causing Asta to smile.

"Now, don't you worry, Loki. I'm going to take good care of you." Asta told him.

She laid Loki back on his side and pulled out her kit and used some of her seidr to help him. Eir had walked into the throne room to find Odin and Thor discussing some matter.

"Ah, Eir. What brings you here now?" Odin asked.

"It is about Loki." Eir replied.

"Has something happened to him?" Thor asked frantically.

"He is alright. He is the hands of one of my best students. Asta is her name." Eir told him.

"Any student of yours is great." Thor commented.

"Yes, but she is like no other. Her seidr is at a level close to mine and possibly Loki's. All her tests prove that she could take over when my days are done." Eir explained.

"What of Loki?" Odin asked.

"He is improving." Eir said.

"How so?" Thor asked.

"He is opening up to Asta. I've also seen the way he looks at her. He admires her, Allfather. I don't know in what way since he is a man of many faces but...I believe he trusts Asta." Eir explained.

"What has she done?" Odin asked.

"She was able to have Loki show her his scars." Eir replied.

Thor and Odin were both shocked as they stared at Eir in disbelief.

"She did what?" Odin asked.

"You heard me, Allfather. Right now, she is cleaning his wounds." Eir replied.

"That can't be. Loki would never show his scars to anyone. Not even to me." Thor told her.

"Well, somehow, she managed it. They've built a trust with one another. It's quite striking if you ask me." Eir chuckled.

"I want to meet this...Asta." Thor said.

"Thor, you can't possibly-"

"No, father. I want to meet this girl and see just how much she really cares for Loki. I want to know how she's gained his trust." Thor explained.

"I shall see what I can do." Eir said.

"There, Loki. All better." Asta smiled.

Loki slowly turned onto his back with Asta's help and let out a moan of relief as he did. She caressed his cheek softly and leaned forward to lay a kiss to his forehead.

"I don't see why people think you a terrible man. I know I'm being repetitive, but you don't deserve any of this. Oh, I wish I could hear you speak to know what you think." Asta told him.

Loki's eyes moved in every direction as he took in Asta's features. Her head was down as she stared at her lap. Loki reached his hand towards her and played with a strand of her hair between his fingers. She quickly looked back up at Loki and smiled.

"Maybe, I should bring my grandmother here one day. Would you like that?" Asta asked.

Loki hesitated to answer and Asta cocked her head to the side. He nodded his head and Asta beamed.

"I think she'll be glad to see you again." Asta chuckled.

Loki chuckled along with Asta and couldn't help but watch as her cheeks flushed as she did.

"I must be going now. Try and be careful, Loki. I hate to see you this way." Asta told him.

Loki nodded his head and Asta smiled. She quickly stood up from the bed and took Loki's hand in hers.

"Stay safe, Loki. I'll be back tomorrow." Asta said.

She let go of his hand and Loki moaned as he tried to grab hold of her hand once more to savor her touch. Asta left the cell as Loki furrowed his brow and tried his best to admire her before she was gone. Asta walked back to her quarters and greeted Agnette making lunch.

"Good afternoon, grandmother." Asta greeted.

"Good afternoon, Asta. Lunch is almost ready. You can take a bath if you'd like. After all this work of yours with, Loki, you deserve to relax." Agnette told her.

Asta walked into their small bathroom and had a quick bath before eating. Once she finished, she changed into her regular clothes and sat down with Agnette at the table to eat lunch.

"How is everything going?" Agnette asked.

"Fine. Loki is opening up towards me which I appreciate. In fact, he even showed me his back to help clean." Asta replied.

"He...he did?" Agnette asked.

"Yes. I felt so guilty somehow to see those scars. I wish I knew how he got them." Asta told her.

"He's never shown those scars to anyway." Agnette said.

"That's what Odin said." Asta chuckled.

"You spoke to Odin?" Agnette asked.

"Not exactly. He told me to leave Loki be when the guards were beating him and I stood up for him and myself." Asta told her.

"Asta, what did you do?" Agnette asked.

"I only called him a bitter old man is all." Asta replied as she drank from cup.

"Asta!" Agnette scolded.

"But, grandmother, he is and you've said so many times." Asta said.

"Not to his face." Agnette sighed.

"I'm sorry, grandmother. I was so upset that I lost my cool." Asta told her.

"It's alright. It's in the past now." Agnette said.

"I asked Loki if he'd like to see you." Asta brought up.

"What did he say, well not say but, you know what I mean." Agnette said.

"He said yes." Asta smiled.

"He has most likely missed me. I never really got his forgiveness for sewing his lips." Agnette told her.

Asta chuckled softly and Agnette smiled as she laid her hand on Asta's shoulder.

"Yes?" Asta asked.

"The prince, Thor, has wished to speak with you after lunch." Agnette replied.

Asta gasped softly as she looked down at her plate and took in what Agnette said.